Zi Lingling appeared calm. "Did I say anything?"
Zi Donglai: "..."
Zi Yi: "..."
Zi Zhu: "..."
Zi Yun: "..."
They looked at each other, confirming they had heard correctly.
Zi Dong'an, enduring the pain, sneered, "You boast too much! How can you, a twelve or thirteen-year-old brat, cripple the Zi family, one of the four great families?"
Zi Lingling sneered, "Not bad, not bad, you can still speak. It seems the experience of a muddled mind wasn't very pleasant. Shall we try the Nine Connects Nine Breaks Bone Shattering Pill?"
Zi Dong'an: "..."
A blatant threat!
However, he wisely shut his mouth!
The Nine Connects Nine Breaks Bone Shattering Pill was something that had even caused Zi Wentian, a peak Saint King realm expert, to die in agony.
He didn't want to give the madman Zi Lingling a chance.
Zi Lingling taunted, "Learned to shut up?"
Zi Dong'an: "..."
Facing you, a madman, if I don't shut up, can I survive?
Zi Lingling's smile suddenly vanished, and she said coldly, "Originally, you could have personally verified whether I was boasting. But unfortunately, you have been abandoned by the Zi family, so you are destined not to see the end of the Imperial Zi family.
However, I can tell you in advance. From the moment Zi Wentian provoked my mother and imprisoned her, from the moment Zi Wentian forced my father to exchange the family head token of the Tianqi Zi family for my mother's life, the fate of the Imperial Zi family was sealed for destruction!
But I have more important matters to attend to now, so I will let the Imperial Zi family linger for a couple more days. But Zi Dong'an, you won't see it, because the King of Hell is urging you to depart!"
As Zi Lingling finished speaking, a blade light flashed, and Zi Dong'an's head was severed from his body.
Because of the speed, the wound didn't bleed for a long time, and Zi Dong'an's face still held a disdainful expression.
"Ah..."
Zi Yi screamed, terrified, and hid in Zi Zhu's arms.
"You..."
Zi Donglai's face was pale, looking at Zi Lingling with disbelief as she acted cleanly and decisively, without any hesitation.
Despite their arrogant and overbearing demeanor, killing was a foreign concept to them.
Zi Zhu was slightly better, having carried out missions and killed before.
The reason he was stunned for so long was that he hadn't expected the girl before him to kill without batting an eye.
Zi Yun's legs were trembling. As Zi Donglai's subordinate, he still helped Zi Donglai with shady matters in secret.
But in terms of killing cleanly, he was not even one ten-thousandth of Zi Lingling's capability.
It was precisely because of this that he, a subordinate and guard, was also intimidated.
Qin Mingfei, on the other hand, showed no reaction, as he was accustomed to such scenes.
But a trace of fear flickered in Qin Mingyue's eyes. However, she quickly regained her composure.
After all, dealing with mercenaries often involved bloody matters, such as heads and beast cores.
Furthermore, she had just experienced a fierce battle.
Zi Lingling casually put away her scalpel. Blood finally gushed from Zi Dong'an's severed neck.
She looked indifferently at the four of them, Zi Donglai and the others, and said, "You four have two paths to choose. One, follow in his footsteps and report to the King of Hell; two, you help me with a task, and after it's done, I will grant you your freedom!"
Zi Donglai trembled and said, "I choose the second option. What do you want me to do?"
Zi Lingling didn't speak, but her gaze fell on Zi Yi.
Zi Yi shivered and said, "I... I also choose the second option."
Zi Lingling still didn't answer, but looked at Zi Zhu.
Zi Zhu calmly said, "Since the young master and young lady have both chosen the second path, I have no choice but to choose the second path as well."
Zi Lingling didn't look at Zi Yun anymore, as it was unnecessary.
As Zi Donglai's subordinate and bodyguard, whatever Zi Donglai chose, he had to choose. There was no other path.
Zi Lingling nodded, "Very good! Here are four brocade pouches. Take one each and keep them close. Do not lose them.
The pouches will tell you what to do. If a pouch is lost, it means your mission has failed, and failures are not qualified to live. Do you understand?"
As Zi Lingling spoke, four brocade pouches appeared out of thin air.
Seeing them each take one and keep it close, she then said, "You will travel west from here. When you reach the border between the Azure Dragon Empire and the Vermillion Bird Empire, you may open the brocade pouch on Zi Yi.
Remember: Do not open it until you reach your destination, otherwise the pouch will self-detonate, and all four of you will perish without a trace. So, do not harbor any侥幸, understand?"
"Understood!" the four said in unison.
A subtle change flickered in Zi Zhu's eyes.
He didn't know that every glance of his was falling under Zi Lingling's immense divine sense.
Zi Lingling coldly warned, "I'll say it again, do not open it until you reach your destination, or you will surely perish without a trace!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Zi Donglai replied repeatedly.
He had been so terrified by Zi Lingling and Qing Yu's methods that he could only be subservient.
Zi Yi also quickly responded, "Yes, yes, yes!"
She had a woman's intuition; she could feel that Zi Lingling was absolutely not joking.
Zi Zhu lowered his head and said, "Yes!"
But his thoughts were, If not now, then when to run!
He didn't know that his thoughts at this moment were dangerous and almost sent all four of them to hell.
Zi Lingling nodded, not exposing Zi Zhu's outward compliance and inner defiance.
Someone would learn a lesson and become obedient only after suffering, and only then would they understand how terrible little cleverness could be.
"Alright, since you are all ready, I will send you on your way!"
As Zi Lingling spoke, she communicated with Long'er in her mind, asking Long'er to escort the four of them out.
After all, there was a crowd of onlookers outside, and she didn't want to expose the existence of the Goddess Palace.
Long'er reluctantly nodded, signaling Zi Lingling to remove the barrier.
Zi Lingling nodded, and with a thought, the barrier was removed.
The moment the barrier disappeared, Long'er roared and transformed into his dragon form. Then, with one claw gripping each of them, he soared into the sky.
He naturally wouldn't let the four ride on his back, as they were not worthy.
The dragons had their pride; not everyone was fortunate enough to ride a dragon in flight.
The four were held in the dragon's claws as if they were nothing.
Zi Lingling watched Long'er disappear into the distance, a smile appearing on her face.
She didn't care how Long'er would take the four out.
Watching Long'er disappear into the horizon, Zi Lingling fell into deep thought.